The Muhammad Ali Center has announced that Donald Lassere will be its new president and CEO effective May 14. Lassere has most recently served as senior vice president of Scholarship America, an education assistance program based in Minnesota.“Muhammad and I are grateful and excited to welcome Donald as the new CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center,” Ali’s wife, Lonnie, said in a release.“He has the credentials, personality, and the wherewithal to extend the reach of the Center globally and to form and sustain partnerships and sponsorships, as well as new philanthropic support,” she said.“I am really excited about the opportunity to foster the mission of the Muhammad Ali Center,” said Lassere. “As I was growing up, Muhammad Ali was a great inspiration to me; he demonstrated the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs. His personal sacrifice and subsequent successes continue to be an inspiration to me and millions of people around the world.”Lassere (pronounced luh-SAIR) replaces Greg Roberts, who resigned in 2011 after three years at the helm.The Muhammad Ali Center opened in 2005. The 93,000 square foot facility is an educational and cultural center and houses a museum that showcases Ali’s boxing career.
